Chhattisgarh by-poll: Cakewalk for BJP as rivals pull out nominations

Twelve of 14 candidates have withdrawn from the by-election for Chhattisgarh's Antagarh constituency, in the Maoist-affected Kanker district, amid allegations that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used a mixture of intimidation and persuasion to dissuade all rivals to BJP candidate Bhoj Raj Nag.

On Friday, Congress candidate Manturam Pawar withdrew his nomination, claiming he had never wanted to contest at all. His wife, Savita Pawar, was named the Congress substitute candidate, but her nomination was rejected on the grounds that her papers were incomplete.

The Congress has approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) to protest Savita Pawar's disqualification. "We have approached the ECI to protest against the high-handedness of the district administration," said Congress leader T S Singh Deo. "The commission was receptive to our case."

However, Congressmen privately admitted that were she allowed to stand, she would probably have withdrawn as well. "After all, she will probably go with her husband," said a senior Congressman.

Over the weekend, 10 other candidates, including the Shiva Sena candidate Jai Prakash Padmakar withdrew, leaving Rupadhar Pudo, a candidate from the Ambedkarite Party of India, as the BJP's sole opponent.

"I faced great pressure to withdraw as well," Pudo said over the phone, "I went into hiding and switched off my phone to ensure I wasn't forced to withdraw my nomination. We are a small party but we will fight to represent the people."

Pudo, who emerged once the last day to withdraw his candidacy was over, said BJP workers had threatened to implicate him in Maoist-related terrorism cases unless he withdrew his nomination. Eighty people have been arrested in Maoist-related cases in Kanker in the first six months of 2014 as per data from the Kanker jail.

The BJP has denied these allegations. "This is absolutely false," said state BJP spokesperson Shivratan Sharma. "Our opponents have fallen into the habit of making wild and baseless allegations to mask their own weaknesses."

The Antagarh by-election has attracted an unusual amount of controversy. Congressman Pawar's sudden withdrawal has been interpreted as another instance of internecine warfare between the "AJ (Ajit Jogi)" and ABJ (Anyone but Jogi) factions. That the party shall not field a candidate at all, Congressmen said, is a cause of great concern.

While many Congress members have blamed former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi for Pawar's withdrawal, the Jogi camp has denied these accusations.

"The Congress gave a ticket to a candidate who could not have been more unwilling or unfit," said Amit Jogi, the Congress MLA from Marwahi, who said Pawar was nominated against the wishes of his father, Ajit Jogi. "These are serious issues that require consideration. It is unfortunate that rather than focusing on the BJP we are fighting among ourselves."